Anne Heche and James Tupper have gone their separate ways after more than 10 years together, Us Weekly confirms.
During their time together, the pair welcomed son Atlas, 8, in 2009. According to court documents obtained by Us, the actress, 48, has filed a petition to establish custody and child support. Heche is seeking joint custody and “reasonable visitation” rights for both parents and is also asking that Tupper, 52, pay her legal fees during the court battle.
The former couple first met when they costarred in the ABC series Men in Trees in 2006, while she was married to ex-husband Coleman Laffoon. Heche then ended her marriage to the cameraman, and she began dating the Big Little Lies actor shortly after. The couple moved in together in 2007 and Heche’s rep confirmed that The Brave actress was expecting a child with Tupper in December 2008. During their relationship, the duo worked together on different projects, including the Syfy network’s show Aftermath and NBC’s The Brave.
Although they were together for more than a decade, the pair never married. In a 2011 interview with The Telegraph, Heche described herself as “eternally engaged” to Tupper, and said that she was in no rush to make things official. “I’ve already said yes. When I’m 60 I’m happy to walk down the aisle,” she said, also revealing that he bought her a new ring every year they didn’t tie the knot.
“Well, he’s given me a ring every year so I don’t want to stop that. I have quite a collection,” she said at the time. “Besides, I’ve been married before and so has he. I don’t know what either of us would gain or what would change that would benefit us.”
Heche also shares son Homer, 15, with her ex-husband. Prior to that marriage, the actress was in a high profile relationship with Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 until their split in 2000. Tupper was married to Kate Mayfield, but they divorced in 2006.
